Transportation sector has been described as one of the lucrative business areas in both developed and developing countries of the world. Its activities span across land transportation which includes wheelbarrow, bicycle, truck, tricycle, motorcycle, motor vehicle and chariots.

Sea transportation covers  canoe, flying boat and ocean-moving vessels classified as marine transport. While air transportation known to be the aviation sector deals with movement aircrafts.

The major objective of the transport industry is centred on the movement on human and materials from one destination to another, with a view of accelerating interaction, relationship and transactions between individuals, communities, states and countries.Transport business in the world has been largely dominated by the male sex, creating gender equality in the system.

And in a bid to bridge the gap posed by gender inequality, the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Her Excellency, Dame Judith Amaechi roled out her pet project known as Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) aimed at empowering and encouraging women partake in the transportation business.

Besides, the project also tend to reduce poverty, improve their income base, create job and make them self reliant. No wonder Her Excellency insisted that women should drive the vehicles allotted to them, to ensure that the gender inequality gap is bridged, as well as proof to the world that women can compete men favourably.

Speaking with the beneficiaries of the scheme, the woman driver who gave her name as Patience, told The Tide that she found joy competing with men on the road as driver of her own car, noting that she make as much as N6,000 to N7,000 daily.

She said that, she programme her business time to suit the domestic affairs of her household so as to maintain a balance in the flow of income.

The woman driver lauded the initiator of the scheme Dame Judith Amaechi for empowering women in this magnitude of a saloon car other than the usual gas cooker, sowing machine, hair dryer etc experienced in the past administrations.

Another beneficiary of the transport scheme Mrs Ibiene Orupabo who ply Lagos bustop-Aggrey-Borokiri route told our correspondent that inspite of the fuel scarcity and like in the price of the product, she said that somedays the income margin stands at N10,000, while some other days between N8,000 and N9,000 depending on how serious. According to her, “I never knew that transport business is so lucrative and with my experience as a taxi driver, I intended to expand to full time transporter as soon as I pay the agreed sum (the cost price of the car).

We are in a capitalist world where competition and hardwork form the foundation of our survival, therefore, women should stand firm and contribute to the economic growth of our respective families and the state at large”, she asserted.

She said that Rivers State Government has done so much to rekindle the potentials in women through the wife of the Governor by wooing them into the driving profession which is worthy of emulation by other states.

Mrs Orupabo expressed her pleasure over the level of patronage accorded them on their route by the passengers, saying maybe it is because we are women drivers or that their cars are neat, new and air conditioned.

Speaking on the daily challenges facing the operation of the women drivers in the state, Mrs Janet Ihunwo noted with dismay the incessant harassment of the woman drivers by the traffic marshals, citing the recent assault meted out on a woman driver along Aba road by the staff of the Federal Road Safety Commission which she said the case is in the court.

She said that they are always envied by the male counterpart who dominated the sector, adding that sometimes they are quirked, abused and threatened. Also, “you have to meet your domestic obligations, take the children to school, bring them back, cook and maintain the domestic affairs of the family as well as go out for the days business”, she noted.

She urged government to increase the number of the beneficiaries this year and improve the road network to ease the flow of traffic within the Port Harcourt metropolis and its environs.